Effects and transitions

Horizontal Flip effect

The Horizontal Flip effect reverses each frame in a clip from left to right; however, the clip still plays in a forward direction.

Horizontal Hold effect (Windows only)

The Horizontal Hold effect skews the frames to the left or to the right; the effect is similar to the horizontal hold setting on a television set. Drag the slider to control the clip’s slant.

Vertical Flip effect

The Vertical Flip effect flips a clip upside down. Keyframes cannot be applied to this effect.

Vertical Hold effect (Windows only)

The Vertical Hold effect scrolls the clip upward; the effect is similar to adjusting the vertical hold on a television set. Keyframes cannot be applied to this effect.

Transition effects

Block Dissolve effect

The Block Dissolve effect makes a clip disappear in random blocks. The width and height of the blocks, in pixels, can be set independently.

Original image (left), and with effect applied (center and right)

Gradient Wipe effect

The Gradient Wipe effect causes pixels in the clip to become transparent based on the luminance values of corresponding pixels in another video track, called the gradient layer. Dark pixels in the gradient layer cause the corresponding pixels to become transparent at a lower Transition Completion value. For example, a simple grayscale gradient layer that goes from black on the left to white on the right causes the underlying clip to be revealed from left to right as Transition Completion increases.

For more information about using and creating a Gradient Wipe transition, see the following video by Dennis Radeke.

Original image (left), and with effect applied (center and right)

The gradient layer can be a still image or a moving image. The gradient layer must be in the same sequence as the clip to which you apply Gradient Wipe.

Last updated 1/16/2012

Effects and transitions

You can create gradient layers in many ways, such as using the Ramp effect or creating them in Photoshop or Illustrator.

Transition Softness The degree to which the transition is gradual for each pixel. If this value is 0%, pixels in the clip to which the effect is applied are either completely opaque or completely transparent. If this value is greater than 0%, pixels are semitransparent at the intermediate stages of the transition.

Gradient Placement How the gradient layer’s pixels are mapped to the pixels of the clip to which the effect is applied:

•Tile Gradient Uses multiple tiled copies of the gradient layer.

•Center Gradient Uses a single instance of the gradient layer in the center of the clip.

•Stretch Gradient To Fit Resizes the gradient layer horizontally and vertically to fit the entire area of the clip.

Invert Gradient Inverts the gradient layer’s influence; lighter pixels in the gradient layer create transparency at a lower Transition Completion value than do darker pixels.

Customize a Gradient Wipe transition

You can use a grayscale image as a gradient wipe. In a gradient wipe, image B fills the black area of the grayscale image and then shows through each level of gray as the transition progresses until the white area becomes transparent.

Gradient wipe source image (far left) and resulting transition

1In the Effects panel, expand the Video Transitions bin and the Wipe bin inside it.

2Drag the Gradient Wipe transition from the Wipe bin to an edit point between clips in a Timeline panel.

3Click Select Image, and then double-click the file you want to use as the gradient wipe. The image appears in the Gradient Wipe Settings dialog box.

4Adjust the softness of the transition’s edges by dragging the Softness slider. As you drag the slider to the right, image A increasingly shows through image B. Click OK.

Note: To change the gradient image or the softness, click Custom in the Effect Controls panel.

To preview the transition, drag the current-time indicator through the transition in a Timeline panel.

More Help topics

“Gradient Wipe effect” on page 400

Linear Wipe effect

The Linear Wipe effect performs a simple linear wipe of a clip in a specified direction.

Wipe Angle The direction that the wipe travels. For example, at 90° the wipe travels from left to right.

Original image (left), and with effect applied (center and right)

Last updated 1/16/2012